1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an improved method and system for data processing and in particular to an improved data processing system and method for invoking a function within a graphical user interface. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved data processing system and method for invoking one of the functions displayed within a graphical user interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The development and proliferation of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) has greatly enhanced the ease with which users interact with data processing systems. A conventional GUI display includes a desktop metaphor upon which one or more icons, application windows, or other graphical objects are displayed. Typically, a data processing system user interacts with a GUI display utilizing a graphical pointer which the user controls with a graphical pointing device, such as a mouse, trackball, or joystick. For example, depending upon the actions allowed by the active application or operation system software, the user can select icons or other graphical objects within the GUI display by positioning the graphical pointer over the graphical object and depressing a button associated with the graphical pointing device. In addition, the user can typically relocate icons, application windows, and other graphical objects on the desktop utilizing the well know xe2x80x9cdrag-and-dropxe2x80x9d technique. By manipulating the graphical objects within the GUI display, the user can control the underlying hardware devices and software objects represented by the graphical objects in a graphical and intuitive manner. Keyboard strokes may also be utilized to navigate about the graphical user interface and for making selections of graphical objects within the GUI.
Conventional GUIs often include an application bar or menu which displays iconified graphical objects representing those applications which are currently running and active in memory. The user can quickly switch between open applications by selecting the graphical objects representing the application. In addition, a user may dismiss the current application and remove the graphical display associated with the application from the GUI without exiting the application. Upon dismissing the application, an iconified graphical object representing the application is typically displayed.
Typically, an application includes a graphical selection area with multiple bars and one or more graphical windows. The graphical selection area preferably includes multiple pull-down menus with textual representations which invoke functions when selected. In addition, the graphical selection area may include multiple graphical objects and icons which also invoke functions when selected. A title bar is also typically included in a graphical selection area. Graphical windows contain program supported data. For example, a word processor utilizes a graphical window which may contain text and other graphics entered by the user. A mail program utilizes a graphical window which may display text from a received mail message.
Conventionally, when the graphical object representing any application is selected from the active application bar, the graphical display associated with the application is restored. Any graphical windows which were open when the application was dismissed will be restored when the application is selected again. In addition, the graphical selection area is restored.
In some cases, a user may only need access to an application""s graphical selection area to invoke a desired function, however to gain access to the graphical selection area, the application, including any graphical windows and graphical selection areas, must be restored and displayed. Three disadvantages exist to accessing a graphical selection area in the conventional manner. First, memory is required to restore graphical display associated with the application, including paging in the required data to restore any open graphical windows. Second, the performance of the data processing system is compromised because the user must wait for all parts of the graphical display associated with the application to be restored and possibly reloaded into memory. Third, screen real estate is needlessly consumed to restore the entire graphical display associated with the application onto the screen.
As should thus be apparent, an improved GUI is needed that permits a user to access only a graphical selection area of an application from the iconified graphical objects which represent applications in order to invoke a function from the graphical selection area.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for data processing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved data processing system and method for invoking a function within a graphical user interface.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved data processing system and method for invoking one of the functions of a graphical selection area displayed within a graphical user interface.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A data processing system and method of efficiently invoking a function within a data processing system is provided wherein the data processing system includes a processing unit, a display device that displays graphical objects in response to receipt of signals from the processing unit, and a graphical user interface (GUI) manager stored within the memory and executable by the processing unit. A graphical application is displayed within the display device. The graphical application has an associated graphical window and an associated graphical selection area. After iconizing the graphical application such that the associated graphical window and associated graphical selection area are no longer displayed, in response to a selection of the iconized graphical application, only the associated graphical selection area is opened. Thereafter, in response to a selection of a particular region among multiple regions, the function associated with the particular region is performed without displaying the associated graphical window.
The above as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.